From Marilyn Lynch, Stanbridge Head of School:Hello and welcome to another edition of The Bridge. After a spirited week of theme days, we are now heading into the home stretch of the school year. The three-day weekend ahead ushers-in a busy final two weeks, so here's the latest to keep you up-to-date:

• Memorial Day is May 27 and there is no school on Monday. Classes resume on Tuesday, but our Junior High students will effectively get to extend their holiday as they have a class trip to Chinatown scheduled for May 28th. Details of the trip are included on the permission form which is posted on our Forms page.

• It will be an especially short week of classes for our high school seniors, who depart for their year-end capstone trip to San Francisco on Wednesday, May 29. The three-day, two-night adventure includes tours of the Walt Disney Museum, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and a dinner cruise aboard the Hornblower as it sails beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. A full itinerary of activities can be found on our Forms page, along with a packing list and permission slip. As a reminder, please remember to drop off any necessary meds to the main office on Tuesday so chaperones can maintain accountability.

• As our seniors depart to The City on Wednesday morning, our high school underclassmen will be looking to next year. Specifically, voting on next year's student government leaders. We have a number of enthusiastic candidates running for student government office, and Hayden Hall has been adorned with homemade campaign posters. Candidates will be giving speeches to the high school students and incoming ninth graders on Wednesday morning and voting will take place immediately afterwards. We'll announce the winners at the end of the day, but an early congratulations to all of the students who are running. I thank you for your dedication and interest in getting involved!

• Looking beyond next week, one of the final school-wide events of the year is our annual Field Day. For new families unfamiliar with this Stanbridge tradition, Field Day is an event where students and teachers from all divisions interact as teams, competing in a variety of picnic-style outdoor games (i.e.--tug o' war, relay races, water balloon toss, etc.). The event is held at Coyote Point Park, just across the highway from Stanbridge, and includes a BBQ lunch as well as prizes for the winning teams. Parents and guardians play a big part in assisting with Field Day activities--from helping with the BBQ to assisting with transport to and from Stanbridge. Pam has details on how to volunteer in this week's SPA Spot, and all student participants are required to submit a permission form which you can find on the Forms page. This is a fun way for students and staff to celebrate the end of the school year together and I look forward to seeing everyone take part.

• Following Field Day, on Thursday, June 6, we will be holding our annual End-of-Year Award ceremonies. This is a chance for teachers in all divisions to recognize students for their accomplishments. Again, parents and guardians are encouraged to attend, as all students will be individually recognized. The awards are presented in Hayden Hall and the schedule is as follows:

Lower/Middle/Upper Elementary - 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Junior High - 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

High School - 1:30 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.

• Of course, these events are only a prelude to the big day: Graduation. This year's commencement ceremony will start at 10:00 a.m. at the Burlingame High School Auditorium (1 Mangini Way, off of Carolan Avenue, in Burlingame). Please note the following about graduation:

Friday, June 7 is a school day. All students are expected to arrive at Stanbridge at regular time.

Students and faculty will be taken to and from Burlingame HS by bus. Permission forms will be posted next week.

The ceremony will end at approximately 12:30 p.m. If a parent/guardian is present, students may leave with them directly from the BHS Auditorium.

A celebration to honor the graduates will be held at Stanbridge immediately following the ceremony. Light refreshments will be served and all Stanbridge families and guests are welcome to attend.

All parents and guardians are encouraged to attend the commencement ceremony, even if your student is not graduating. In addition to honoring the graduating eighth- and 12th-graders, the ceremony features a number of awards that will recognize students from all grades and divisions. Additionally, our graduating seniors will be giving personal speeches as they accept their diplomas. Hearing their stories as they complete their Stanbridge careers is incredibly moving, inspiring, and unforgettable. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the special place that Stanbridge is and I hope you are able to attend.

• Thank you to everyone who has signed-up for Summer School classes. We have delayed sending the follow-up emails because of a late surge in enrollment--some of the classes that were about to be cancelled will now be staying on the schedule! Chris will have the schedule finalized next week, but thanks to some last-minute sign-ups, nearly all courses initially offered will remain on the schedule. With that said, it's still not too late to enroll. You can find the course descriptions and the sign-up form on our Summer School page.

• Finally, be sure to click over to The Bridge mainpage. We have posted additional stories and links about some of our students that you will definitely want to read about, plus a link to the newly-launched SPA Facebook page. Before signing-off, though, our thanks and appreciation to all who have served--and who are currently serving--our country, as we honor them over this holiday weekend, especially our Stanbridge Vets!

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Stanbridge Academy is a caring, inclusive K-12 school for students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. We use an individualized, whole student approach so that students thrive and develop their academic, social, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential.